Onkyo HT-BD3315 review

There's a perfectly good Home Cinema system crying to get out here, but this Onkyo is hamstrung by its lacklustre speakers Tested at £500.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Two-thirds of the way there (and in some style) but this Onkyo system is crying out for more accomplished speakers

Pros

  • +

    Flexible spec

  • +

    swift and sure effects steering

  • +

    detailed, colourful images

Cons

  • -

    Speakers let it down

  • -

    motion issues

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

In this instance, for 'home cinema in a box' read either 'separate components at a special price' or 'home cinema in several boxes'.

The Onkyo HT-BD3315 consists of HT-R380 multichannel receiver, BD-SP308 Blu-ray player and HTP-338 5.1 speaker package, and its pros are almost exactly equal to its cons when judged against more integrated systems.

The most obvious 'pro' is the HT-R380 receiver. Three HDMI inputs make it more flexible than most all-in-ones. Separating disc transport from the electrical noise of amplification can't do any
harm, either.

A system like this occupies a fair bit more space than your usual all-in-one, though, and better-integrated systems don't show up with two remote controls.

Decoding the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack to the ferocious Ninja Assassin, the Onkyo establishes a secure, relatively expansive soundstage and moves the effects around with speed and precision.

Just one weak link
Images enjoy good levels of detail, a nicely balanced colour palette and convincing skin-tones.

For all its general poise, though, the Blu-ray player is sometimes panicked by motion and doesn't offer quite the insight into or differentiation of black tones that some other affordable standalone players can muster.

The HT-BD3315's biggest drawback, however, is its speaker system. For all the good work the amp does, it can't do much about the thin voices with which the speakers sing.

There's a coarse and gauzy quality to the top of the frequency range; and the subwoofer seems, at best, on nodding terms with its five partners. To be fair, though, that's a failing of almost every all-in-one system we've heard.

There's an extremely competent system struggling to get out here, but while it's saddled with these speakers it's never going to compete for top honours.

See all our home cinema system Best Buys

Follow whathifi.com on Twitter

Join whathifi.com on Facebook

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.


Read more about how we test